HENRY 'THE ELDER', YEOMAN

Clothier John's second son at first followed his father's trade, but was later described as 'yeoman'. He was twice married and died in 1651.

The Will of his widow Marian or Miriam was at first puzzling in its reference to her daughters-in-law Ann Taylor and Margaret Perryer. These were eventually identified as the married daughters of Marian's first husband, Philip West, clothier, by his first marriage. 'Daughter-in-law' was the usual term for what we should call 'step-daughter'.

Henry's eldest son and heir Henry the younger likewise married twice; his descendants have not been traced beyond 1693.

Joseph, second surviving son of Henry the elder, rather broke the pattern of the family by settling at Bramley as a blacksmith, and also served as Constable there. Probably losing his first wife in childbirth (as his brother Henry had done), he likewise lost no time in finding a second wife to mother his children. He desired to be buried at Shalford and left a legacy to the poor of both Shalford and Bramley. He still owned a Godalming house, formerly his father's, and left this to his eldest son Henry, who was likewise buried at Shalford but described himself as of Guildford and Bramley, yeoman. Another son William was also a yeoman at Shalford and Bramley (one of his sons settling at Hascomb); but Constable Joseph's other three sons were all apprenticed to London carpenters.

Joseph and James were both apprenticed to Thomas Charman of Southwark, who was probably a native of the Godalming area and may have been a boyhood friend of the Constable. Between these brothers came Richard, who was apprenticed to Samuel Berry of Chick Lane.

This Richard is described in his will, proved 1727, as sometime of Port Royal, Jamaica, gentleman now of Staines, Middlesex, where he and his wife spent their declining years with his niece Tabitha and her husband, John Estwick, draper.

Richard still held freehold property in Southwark, let to Sir Thomas Shard and others. His Will does not indicate what parts of the Jamaica trade had produced his fortune.

Tabitha Estwick was the youngest daughter of Richard's brother Joseph, the first London Citizen and carpenter of this family, who rose to be Master of the Carpenters' Company in 1694. His son, Joseph Barnard Chitty, gentleman, of St Olave, Southwark, was lodging in Bristol when he made a codicil to his Will in 1709. Be seems to have been a bachelor - at least he left no widow or children.

continued ...